Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-04-12
fCovyrlshi. issi, ~ Ai~csd A fofbss'l
THE GOOD OLD TIMES OF A
CENTURY AGO.
BY Jrpor c. F. WHITMAN.
ChaIsp IN.
rur LILY OF Tnr vlLLrY.

ruE LILY or THI vALLEY.
The income Of the Rev. w. W. Hooper
va, one hundred pound, year. and with
the use Of the house AID lot. rented a, a
nominal .um Of = Boston party. who had
come ia,o possession Of the property
through a relative dying and leaving l, TO
him |. q legacy. be mansged 10 live
comfortably. educate bis only son =, Hn-
ward, who ike hi. father VAS = minister
Of the gospel. bat had settled IN Connect
isu,. aud lay by something TO sndow hi.
daughter and remaining child Ruth, and
provide iot himself snd wife Ia their old
age. III. saving. bad been invested In
E-,sra l.nd,. which had hitherto been
an ouise, rather than a. ineome. Siill.
the time ~ss coming. be reasoned. a. the
District Of Maine became settled. when
from them woald be derived considerable
profit
lie had q nae form, handsome face
aud features. with captivating manner.
and an earns.,nsss snd sloqasnee OF
speech ,hA, carried conviction 10 his hear
en-. A clergyman Of the established
ehureh. be had all the requisites that 10
70 make up the popular preacher.
hi. wife va, one Of those sweet
tempered aud gen,le bodies. who have
few care. TO ,oar their dispositions. snd
Who seem to live ia a con',an, s,mo'
sphere Of peace aud happiness II there
we're occasional cares and PerpseNi,is''
Mr.. Hooper had . spirii Of Cnr''ian re-
.isna,ion tia, WAS becoming TO her a.
The wife Of a minister oi the Gospel.
The daughter. Ruth. bad the eomsly
form and features Of the father With the
ssn,le aud winning ways Of the mother.
Eyeuone loved her because she was low
able, and ~as Away. kind and good.
Often had she been found a, the bedside
of the .ick. and sllsvia,ing the sutisring'
aud disuss.e. Of the poor. Besides the
quali,is. which caused her 10 be respected
snd loved, she was possessed OF much
good sense and jalgmsni. She had been
veil educated aud was accomplished IN
both vocal and instrumental music. That
her parenu should worship their dAash-
ter, ns1t to their Creator, Was 10 be ex-
pee,ed, since /, could scarcely be otherwise.
IL had been the wish Of their hearts. ,hs,
when she came 10 be married, u would be
10 some worthy minister Of the church OF
God. Who finding ia her ready aud Will
ing worker In the grea, cause Of sA'ing
souls. would prize her as she deserved.
She was twenty. three, aud though she
had no suiior.. il had no, always been
30. Many had offered her alterations,
but received no encouragement, Ia one
case a, least TO the grea, disappointment.
Of her family. A el...ma,e who had
accompanied her brother on some OF his
visit. home, had wooed but noi won the
minister's pretty daughter. .
Durins one Of these visits. she had
been ou, riding with her brother. aud on
their return. he stopped by the roadside
jus, a. they were catering the village 10
pick some flowers, st her request, ~ she
va. very fond Of them. The horse be-
came frightened q, the sudden tllgh, OF =
bird near them, and dashed madly up the
street. to the imminsn, peril Of Ruth.
Who y.inly tried TO check bis mad career
A number Of people were in the street.
some standing. while Others ~sre sitting
on benches in front Of the store, and
among these were the elass'ma,e and
samuel Taylor. who had gone to the OF
fee after their mail. They saw the run
away horse coming towards them a, the
top Of hi. speed. with single lady oe-
eupan, In the carriage whom they reeos-
nized as Ruth.
The people were struck with horror,
and As Is usual in such cases did nothing
the Harvard student IL anything being
more psralyIed than the rest. No, 30
with samuel. however. lie eomPre-
hended the situation fully at "a glance.
and fearing when the horse should turn
the corner towards home. that Ruth
would be thrown ou, Of the carriage and
fatally injured. he resolved TO a,,emP.
her rescue.
A shor, distance in the direction from
which the runaway horse was coming
was quite depression across the road.
Running toward II, as swiftly as possible.
he swung hi. arms, and shouted with all
hi. might a. the beast came tearing up
the rising piece Of ground. They both
reached the top q, about the same time
when the horse swep, aside to pass him.
Anticipating this movement. he sprang
forward and seized him by the bride,
and was dragged several rods before be
succeeded In bringing the animal to =
stand-still.
The brother soon came up, and Ruth
was taken home. but not till she had ~.
csrtained that Samuel was unhui,. and
had profasely thanked him for her rescue.
None Of the spectators had attempted
any assistance, being too much excited
TO know whs, to do. Ruth never forgo.
the figure her saitor cut In this affair. and
IL there had ever been any prospect ol
his winning her affections before, It Wa
now forever dissipatsd- Since her rescue
she had treated Samuel with great defer
ence.
But how was be Affected by this oc'
cursnce' He had performed his duty
/! and no more than be would have At
tempted had tie poorest and most de-
spised Of human kind, been In Ruth''
place. Prompted simply BY the dssir.
to prevent injury and 'ufisrins' he had